need help in deciding

Ok ok ..so a bit more work on the image, I think I have got it to where it should be acceptable

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8063/8...a5eecb00_c.jpg

Looks better than before.

I agree!

I kind of like both images for different reasons. I hate choosing one over another. The first image of a pretty red head is a great exposure with excellent sharpness. Eye contact is perfect. Some cleaning up is needed of a few make up flecks and something around her mouth. Nothing a bit of cloning won't fix. I have a red head daughter so this plays a part in my reaction to the photo. The second shot of the veteran has an immediate emotional impact partly, I suppose, because of the time of year, and the way we think about our veterans. This is also a good exposure that you have tweaked, but I kind of like the second poppy on the soldier in the background, as it lends depth to the image. The fellow himself is so focused and thoughtful, I can't help but wonder what he is thinking.
What I like about both images is your risk taking in photographing them "in the wild", taking portraits without studio lighting, on the fly. Nice job.

The brass buttons on the soldier in the background are still distracting and need toning down. Lower than the subjects as a minimum. And on a completely different leaning,,,,I'm not a fan of colour toning but reducing the saturation on everything to a point where the face barely has colour, except for the poppy and the medals which stay where they are, produced an interesting result I liked.

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Originally Posted by Realist

I second that.

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I too

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Originally Posted by mbrager

I kind of like both images for different reasons. ..... What I like about both images is your risk taking in photographing them "in the wild", taking portraits without studio lighting, on the fly. Nice job.

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Thanks Michael

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Originally Posted by Andrew

The brass buttons on the soldier in the background are still distracting and need toning down ....

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Thanks Andrew. Yes, there are always partially distracting things in any photograph, and yes, one can tome it down incredibly. However, I think i am opting to let them stand as they are ... otherwise I would have to take the other face out as well ... and that would no longer show the actual scene.